The Baby Sitters Club Reunion
by Amandah Leigh
Summary: Ten years out of high school, the girls are preparing to make their way back to Stoneybrook for the class reunion, but in the meantime, Kristy has a great idea... and, in true BSC fashion, they come across a mystery! A Super Special. Please R
1. Kristy

The Babysitters Club Reunion

a SuperSpecial

**CHAPTER ONE**

I wasn't really excited for the reunion. I might have been, had I known it would mean yet another mystery to solve, but reunions, on the whole, really aren't my thing. Why should they be? The people in my life are the people I want in my life, and those I don't keep in touch with? Well... I just don't keep in touch with them. Of course, the underlying issue, the one really bugging me, is that I'm ten years out of high school and I haven't really done anything yet. Maybe I'm being full of myself, but I think everyone had really high expectations of me, given how determined, driven, hard-working and diligent I've always been. But when I sit and reflect now, ten years after graduation, I have to shrug. What happened? Where did the time go? When will I get a full time job? It's not that I'm a total failure or anything - I'm not. But I'm definitely not anywhere near where I should I would be, where I need to be or where I could be. Of course, everyone says there's still time.

"Don't give up on your dreams," my mother tells me, "There's still time. You're young." Then, usually, she cries. It isn't that I've given up on my dreams... it's just that I'm not sure what exactly my dreams are anymore. My mother also often says, "Enjoy life! Live for today. We don't really know how much time we have." Perhaps that's why I feel like I need to have everything right now. My mother, as you might have guessed, is a study of contrasts. "You have time," and "We don't know how much time we have," are two of her favorite, albeit conflicting, sayings. She's been like this ever since the accident a couple of years ago. It changed her outlook and, (dare I say it?) affected her brain.

But before I get into that, maybe I should back up and introduce myself. My name is Kristen Amanda Thomas. Not married, no children, thank you for asking. It's always the first question anyone asks, followed by, "but your _how_ old?" to which I reply, "twenty eight," with an accompanying sigh. Then they ask, "Are you engaged? Exclusive? Seeing anyone? Having casual sex?! Nothing?! Oh, you poor girl." It doesn't make sense to me. I was under the mistaken impression that we are living in a time when it's okay to wait. Okay to get married at thirty, have babies at forty, and really enjoy life right up until you're eighty. Of course, I am not necessarily waiting by choice... but again I'm getting off the beaten path! Where was I? Oh, yeah. My name is Kristy Thomas. I am twenty eight years old and I live in Stamford, CT, the nearest city to the town I grew up in, Stoneybrook. I am short, barely five foot one, and I have medium length brown hair that I wear in a ponytail almost one hundred percent of the time, even at work. I am primarily employed by Acer Insurance as a sales representative. I get there at 10am and leave at 2:30, which is when I head to my second (and favorite) job - coaching the girls' softball team at Stoneybrook Day School. From 3:00 to 5:15 I am outside every spring, running drills and heading up games and leading my girls to three private school division championships in a row (I've been there for four years). In the fall I coach field hockey, which I got into in high school. It's not my favorite sport, but they wouldn't let me coach high school football so I take what I can get. Because part time insurance selling and coaching don't exactly pay all of the bills, I also work weekends at South Street Cafe and Grille, or South C&G as it's better known. I am a waitress , doing the breakfast shift from 5:30 to 11:30, bright and early!

It was there that I came up with my great idea - a pre-reunion re-union! Since I hate the idea of a reunion you are probably wondering how this makes any sense. Well, the pre-reunion wouldn't be for all the kids I went to high school with, it would be for a much better group - the Babysitters Club. I founded the BSC when I was in the seventh grade and served as president for two years until the club folded when we went to high school. My friends wanted to move on, "bigger" things, they said, and I tried not to show it, but I was crushed. The BSC was my whole life, OUR whole lives. There were circus's, sleepovers, playgroups, pageants, art camps, vacations, dances, variety shows, solving mysteries, and yes, babysitting.

The club started when my mother couldn't find a sitter for my younger brother, David Michael. I watched her make call after call after call. I thought, what if she could dial one number and just find a sitter? Thus, the Babysitters Club was born. I immediately asked my best friend Mary Ann Spier to join, and we also asked our other close friend Claudia Kishi. She introduced us to our fourth - Stacey McGill. The club would change many times over the years. At its largest we boasted five regular members, two junior officers, two associate members, and an honorary member. We stretched from CT to California and had adventures from Massachusetts to Sea City to Disney World to Hawaii and everywhere in between. As I put an order in (two eggs, over medium, wheat toast and silver dollar pancakes) I mentally recalled the names of all of our members: Me, Mary Ann, Claudia, Stacey, Dawn, Mallory, Jessi, Shannon, Logan and Abby. Then I started thinking about our former charges: The Perkins', the Prezziosos, the Braddocks, the Pikes, the Newtons, the Hsus, the Papadakis', and so many others. I started to feel far away and nostalgic... then my boss yelled, "Order up, Thomas!" Shook me right out of my reverie. I glanced over at him as I picked up the plates of pancakes and sausages. He had sounded stern, but he was grinning. "Lost in thought, kid?" he asked. I smiled. "Yeah, lost in thought."

I tried to focus on serving customers and waiting tables, but all morning I was focused on one thing - the BSC reunion. It had to happen. It HAD to. I imagined what it would be like while I bussed table twelve. I pictured my friends smiling faces as I set silverware on table nine. How could I not have come up with this before? A Babysitters Club reunion. Simple, yet ingenious. Necessary. Important. We could invite Mal and Jessi, even though they probably wouldn't be in town since they are younger than we are (and neither one graduated from SHS anyway). Actually, I thought as I poured chocolate milk and coffee for table four, I think I heard that Mallory moved back to Connecticut a year or so ago. I hadn't gotten around to looking her up, though. But what better time than the present? I wanted to invite Shannon too, despite the fact that she had attended a private high school. We could have it at my place, I figured, or better yet, see if Mary Ann's parents would loan out their home for the day. It used to be a barn with a secret passage connecting it to their house on Burnt Hill Road, a house that burned down fifteen years ago. Dawn had lived there too, with her mother, before the marriage that made she and Mary Ann stepsisters. Mary Ann. I would have to call her.

I decided to phone my childhood best friend as soon as I got hom from work. Patience is not one of myu virtues. Neither is waiting. I picked up the phone and dialed Mary Ann's number. Though we don't have a lot of time to spend together these days, we do talk, and I know her number by heart. With a deep breath I waited for her to pick up.

"Hello, Kelly residence," I heard her voice say after the third ring. Without introduction I got right to the point:

"Mary Ann? I just had a great idea!"

* * *

Author's Note

Some time ago I began writing a BSC fic. I was disapointed by it, both in terms of my writing and the response it received, so I stopped writing it and considered it on-hiatus. I have decided to try again - Hopefully this one will fare better! lol

I am writing this in superspecial style, meaning a different person 'tells' each chapter in his/her point of view.

Let me know what you think! Reviews always welcome, critique is appreciated as long as it is presented in a positive way! :-) THANKS!!! 3 AL


	2. Mary Ann

CHAPTER TWO

"Hi... Kristy?" Of course it was Kristy. Who else would call me at noon to say "I just had a great idea!"? I had to laugh.

"You realize that it is eight minutes after twelve on a Saturday? And that I have four young, hungry children, running around my kitchen right now?" There was a pause. I hoped Kristy realized I was only giving her a hard time. I was about to tell her so, because I can't stand the thought that I've upset anyone, but she laughed and I could breathe easily again.

"They can wait, Spier."

"Kelly."

"I refuse to call you Kelly. It makes me think of Saved By the Bell and Melrose Place and other stupid shows like that."

"Is there a Kelly on Melrose Place?" I asked. "I think you're thinking of 90210."

Kristy let out an exasperated sigh. "Mary Ann! Who cares?"

"You brought it up."

"Aren't you going to ask about my great idea?"

Grinning, I spread peanut butter on a slice of bread. Lunch was going to be a basic affair that day because we had planned to take the kids to a new Disney movie in the afternoon. I could picture Kristy, pacing around her kitchen, full of youthful energy. I used to have youthful energy. Now I have four youths to take care of.

"Sorry, Kristy. What's your great idea?"

"A reunion. Let's have a reunion."

"What? You mean the class reunion? It's two weeks away!" I cut the PB&J sandwich into quarters and got to work on the next one, peanut butter and fluff. I had already finished two peanut butter and bananas and a peanut butter and jam. We sure are a peanut butter loving family!

"Not the class reunion! I barely even want to go to that-"

"Oh, Kristy, you have to!" I interjected. "Everyone who's anyone is going to be there!"

"That's just the problem, Mary Ann. Anyone who's anyone, and I'm not anyone, and I wasn't much of anyone in high school. Or did you forget? Maybe you were too busy being cool to notice."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. My sensitive side wanted to hug Kristy and make her feel better, but the side of me that spent the last fourteen years listening to Kristy complain about the social hierarchy of high school had long grown tired of it.

"Okay," I said, refusing to argue. "So... what's your idea? Skip the reunion and have our own? We can do that any time. Come over for dinner tonight. We'll be home around five. "

"Not a you-and-me reunion, Mary Ann! A BSC reunion! Invite all the girls, and Logan too! We'll do it on Friday since everyone, well, almost everyone, should be in the area anyway. You can tell Dawn and Stacey and Claudia and I'll get a hold of Mal, Abby, and Shannon, and Mal can call Jessi... Do you still have Logan's number? I haven't talked to him in years."

She sounded so excited. I tried not to discourage her. "That sounds... nice."

"Nice?" She sounded disappointed. "Don't you mean, fantastic?"

I cut the last sandwich into quarters and got five brightly colored plastic glasses and one sippy cup down from the cupboard. While we chatted I stirred up a large pitcher of chocolate milk. I thought about Dawn for a moment. The last time she visited, she called me June Cleaver, Stepford Wife, Laura Petrie, and other names like that. I pretended it didn't bother me at all, but the truth is... as much as I love my life, my husband and my children, sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I were something other than a homeschooling housewife. I met my husband when I was an eighteen year old freshman in college and he was a twenty-six year old med student. We took a sign language class together and the rest is history. A year later we were married and a year after that we had our first child, AlmaLyn Sharon, named for our mothers. Mine died when I was a baby. His died when he was in high school. Our daughter's middle name is for my stepmother, the only 'Mom' I've ever known.

"Kristy... I love you, and I want you to be happy, but I don't want you to get too excited about this, in case it doesn't happen. I mean, Jessi lives where now? Europe?"

"No!" she disputed. "She's back! Karen talks to Becca on facebook. She and Jessi got a place in Rhode Island together. They have a dance studio together. I've seen pictures online. They look great. And Providence isn't all that far away."

"Logan lives in Seattle. That I'm sure about. I don't think he's planning to come home for the reunion. He hasn't been back here since his family moved to Michigan." I didn't think Logan would want to come home early for a Babysitters Club reunion. What if the football team found out? I had to stifle a laugh. Ten years and we really haven't grown up all that much at all.

"Well, the rest of us could be here anyway. Claudia and Stacey are within driving distance, right? And I think Mallory moved back to Stoneybrook."

"She did," I confirmed. "Harrison's niece was in her class this year. Sixth grade."

"Random," said Kristy and I nodded in agreement, momentarily forgetting that she couldn't see me .

Just then, four little bodies came tearing into my sunny yellow kitchen like a hurricane. Hurricane Kelly!

"Mom! I'm hungry!" AlmaLyn shouted obnoxiously.

"I'm on the phone," I pointed out as I set the table. "Go tell your father that lunch is ready."

AlmaLyn bounced energetically out of the room, singing some Hannah Montana song. Meanwhile Harry, Sheridan and Eloise were literally running circles around me, chanting "Ring around the rosie, ring around the rosie!" at the top of their lungs.

"Listen, Kristy, I'm really sorry but I have to go. The kids are starved and we have to leave soon for the movies. But I'll call Dawn tonight and talk it over with her, okay? And I'll talk to you tomorrow. Why don't you come by after work and have lunch with us?"

She sighed again. I knew she was upset over my failure to act right now (she likes everything to happen RIGHT NOW) but sometimes there just isn't time for the Babysitters Club. We have real lives now.

We said our goodbyes and I hung up the phone. Then it was time for peanut butter sandwiches with my family.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, the town, etc. This should go without saying considering this is ffnet, but just to be on the safe side... I'm not Ann M Martin. :-)


	3. Dawn

My cell phone rang just as I was sinking into the tub. I rolled my eyes, but as much as I wanted to ignore it I had to at least see who was calling. What if it was my sister, Gracie? She was going through her first big breakup and needed a lot of guidance. Or what if it was something work related, some senator or congressman finally ready to listen to my facts about the environment? Or what if it was Ducky, my roommate, and he had locked himself out again? I checked the ID. It was my sister all right, but not Gracie.

"Mary Anne!" I exclaimed after I hit the SEND button to answer. "How are you? What's new?"

Was it obvious that I was trying extra hard to sound chipper? The last time Mary Anne and I saw each other, we'd had a big fight (my fault, I have to admit), and though we had made up over the phone, the last couple of months had been sort of strained.

"Everything's fine here on the home front," she said, and I laughed. Probably a little too loudly.

"Great! That's just great! Everything is great. How are the kids? I hope they're just, uh..."

"Great?"

"Yeah!" I laughed again. Again, probably too enthusiastically.

"Are you drunk?" Mary Anne asked, sounding concerned. I supposed I'd have to scale it back.

"No," I answered. Then I took a sip of my wine. Red wine. A little treat for the end of a difficult week. I don't drink often, but when I do, it had better be good. I relaxed a little more in the tub, breathing in the lavender incense I left burning on the sink. Heavenly. Mary Anne would probably be shocked if she could see me. I think she imagines that Ducky and I live like hippies in a commune, but as I learned in college, saving the world by protecting the environment does not necessarily mean giving up electricity, only eating homegrown foods, and wearing leaves instead of clothing. I conserve water by taking a hot bath one night a week and relatively cold, quick showers three mornings a week. We grow some of our own food and buy from whole foods stores and farmers markets, and we re-wear clothes before we wash them, especially casual attire like jeans, t-shirts and pajamas.

"So what's up?" I asked her after a short, awkward silence.

"Well, I got a call today, from Kristy."

"That's great. How is she?"

"Fine, I think. She had an idea."

I took another sip. "An idea? Kristy? I'm shocked. She must have changed an awful lot since high school. I don't remember her as an idea person."

Mary Anne laughed. "You sound like Abby," she informed me.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I replied. "She's pretty funny."

"Are you coming to the reunion?"

"Changing subject?"

"No," she said, "Leading up to it."

"I think I'm coming. I replied with a yes, but I haven't told Mom yet. I'm afraid that I'll have to cancel for work, and I don't want to disappoint her. I don't mind disappointing the reunion committee."

"Kristy wants to have a pre-reunion reunion. For us. The BSC."

"The BSC? Really?" I thought for a second. "I guess I'm not surprised. That sounds very Kristy."

"I think we should do it. I mean, really make an attempt. I know it'll be tough, getting everyone together, but I think it would mean so much to Kristy. You know she's had a rough few years, and I think she's depressed. I mean, more than she lets on. What with her mother's accident a few years ago, and with everything else going on, and... I don't know. I'm not too crazy about the idea, really, for myself I mean, but I think we should do it for her. The club always meant so much to her. She still calls those the best years of our lives, and I don't bother to correct her. I mean, I know she considers it the best time of her life, and I don't want to point out that everyone else is doing so much better now."

"Not everyone, I'm sure."

"Well, everyone I still talk to anyway. You, Mallory, Logan..." Her voice trailed off. "Well, that's about it."

"I talk to Shannon sometimes," I said. "She's living down here in DC. Well, not in DC, in Arlington, actually. But she's working as an aide or something in the White House. I've seen her around and we IM once in awhile. Nothing too personal, just the 'hi, how are you?' stuff and political talk. Want me to invite her?"

"That would be great! Thank you, Dawn."

"No worries, Sis. So, when is this pre-reunion reunion?"

"I'll email you details."

"Fabulous. What else is going on? Kids are good?"

"Kids are great. I'm still homeschooling AlmaLyn." There was a pause after this. I cringed, remembering how I'd called her out for her lack of career and she'd cried about feeling demeaned.

"Wonderful." I hoped I sounded genuine. "What about the little guys?"

"Eloise has fallen hard for Sesame Street. She's an Oscaraholic. Everyone else loves Elmo, but not my baby. It's the Grouch all the way. Let's see... Sheridan is taking swim lessons at the Y. They start as young as three, so he made the cut. We got a pool last summer, the four foot above ground kind, and I want to make sure he's ready before swimming season starts. And Harry... well... he's been asking about kindergarten. He just turned five, as you know, and he really wants to go to school because Mackenzie Cider from next door is five and goes to kindergarten. I told him that the school year is almost over anyway and if he still wants to go to kindergarten in September, we'll discuss it then. I'm hoping he forgets."

"Oh," I said stupidly. "Right." How could I tactfully beg her to let him go? I couldn't. Besides, it's not like putting one out of four in public school would suddenly mean she would get a job. And why should she? Just because I think it's the way a modern woman should live? Without meaning to, I sighed.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You sighed."

"Oh, fine," I assured my sensitive step-sister. "I'm in the bath right now. Incense, two candles, dim lights, the whole nine. And yes, that includes wine, but no, I'm not drunk."

"Should I let you go? That sounds awfully... personal."

"Mary Anne!" I exclaimed. "I didn't mean for it to sound, I don't know... too personal. This is just what I do on Saturday nights. It's my bath night. I treat myself. I just relax, read, you know."

"I don't have much time for relaxing baths," she said, and I thought I heard a twinge of bitterness in her voice.

"Well, it's not for everyone," I said.

We made small talk for a few more minutes, but did not mention to reunion again.

She talked about her husband, the doctor; I talked about my roommate, the gay rights activist. She sent her water-seeking daughter, AlmaLyn, back to bed; I yelled at my dogs, Free and Civil, to stop scratching at the door. She talked about her father and my mother and their new car; I talked about my dad and Carol and their new condo. Soon we said our goodnights and promised to call each other again soon.

After I hung up I placed the phone on top of the closed toilet seat, thought better, and picked it up again. I changed the setting to SILENT. I returned it to its spot and closed my eyes to properly enjoy my relaxing bath.


	4. Claudia

**CHAPTER FOUR  
CLAUDIA**

**A/N - This chapter is for more mature audiences. It still warrants a 'teen' rating, but be advised, there is some adult content and language. **

When I first heard my ringtone (So What, by Pink) I tried to ignore it. I was busy. I was sitting in the lap of Grayson Blake, one of the hottest new actors in New York City. Actually, I was straddling his lap, and we were playing tonsil hockey, to be perfectly frank. He had his strong, large hands on my slender hips; I was running my fingers through his silky dark brown hair. He tasted like peppermint gum (yum!) and he could kiss like no man I'd ever known (and I've known, well, a few).

I heard the little chime that meant I had a voicemail and I ignored that too. He moved his perfect lips to my neck and I had to hold my breath to avoid positively moaning out loud at the thrill of his touch. I didn't want to wake the kids. Namely because I didn't want him to have to stop. It was while he was caressing my collarbone with his tongue that my ringtone started up again. "Shut up, Pink!" I wanted to scream.

"Should you get that?" Grayson asked.

"Hell no," I answered, kissing him again.

This time, no voicemail chime.

It was perhaps five or ten minutes later when I was lying on my back on the couch. Now his hand was inching its way up my black and silver Playboy shirt, the one with the tiny cap sleeves, the one with the glittery bunny logo on the back, the one that I bought online for forty dollars just for tonight. It was at this moment that the phone rang a third time. I glanced at the clock.

"It's ten after ten," I grumbled. "Who the hell keeps calling me?"

"Maybe you should answer it," he said ten minutes later, when I was on top of him, kissing his bare chest. Oh My Lord! What a body. I sighed. It was going off again. The phone, I mean. "So What?" I suddenly hated my ringtone.

"Don't move," I ordered him. "It's probably my sister. I'll be right back." I rushed into the kitchen, grabbed my phone off the counter, and looked at it. I did not recognize the number. "Hello?" I answered in my snippiest voice.

"Claudia?" asked the person on the other end.

"Who the hell is this?" I demanded.

"Kristy. Uh, Kristy Thomas. From Stoneybrook."

"Kristy!" I exclaimed. I hadn't heard from her in years! "What's up, hun? Is everything okay? How'd you get my number?"

"Is this a bad time?" she asked. "I wanted to talk, so I figured I'd call after your daughter fell asleep so you'd be free."

"Well, the kids are sleeping," I said. I did not add anything about being otherwise occupied.

"I had an idea and I wanted to run it by you," she said. I fought the urge to roll my eyes, then realized that she couldn't see me so I might as well roll them. "Wait, did you say 'kids,' as in plural?"

"Yeah," I said. "I have two now. Artemisia and Kahlo. He's two. He just turned two."

"Wow, congrats," she said. "Does this mean you're married again? Last I heard you were getting divorced.

"Nope, not married," I said. I glanced at the clock. We had already been on the phone for way too long.

"Listen, Kristy, this is kind of a bad time," I said slowly, not wanting to hurt her feelings.

"I'll be quick," she assured me.

I felt an arm snake around my waist. I nearly jumped to the moon before I realized it was Grayson.

"Are you going to be awhile?" he growled hotly in my ear.

"No!" I exclaimed.

"No?" asked Kristy. "You're not going?"

"Going? To what?"

"The class reunion," she said. "I asked if you're going to the class reunion."

"Oh! Um, I don't know. I might go. I haven't decided. That last year of high school wasn't exactly paradise, if you remember correctly. I was pregnant and ostracized. I went from junior prom queen to senior class outcast. It kind of sucked. Not sure I want to see some of those jackasses again." Grayson's mouth was all over my neck again. He pushed my shirt off my shoulder to have better access to my bare skin. I shivered with anticipation. He was making me crazy!

"Well, I was hoping that if everyone would be in the area, we could have our own reunion. A Babysitter's Club reunion. I'm not too excited to see the people from high school either, but I'd love to see all of you guys again. Mary Anne is on board, and Jessi said she would try to make it. Mary Anne's going to check with Dawn and Mallory, and I'll call Abby again tomorrow. She didn't answer today. Oh, and I sent her an email. And a Myspace message."

"Do people still use Myspace?" I asked.

"Who cares," Grayson breathed into my ear. His hands snaked down to my skirt, which he began to hitch up. He was still standing behind me and he had his fingertips working their way up the front of my thighs. Again, I shivered. Holy Cow. I had to get off the phone.

"It sounds fine, Kristy, just get me the details and I'll try to make myself - UH! - available," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. Grayson let out a soft laugh. He apparently enjoyed torturing me.

"Fine?" she sounded terribly disappointed. "I thought you'd be more excited, since you're the VP and all."

"Oh, um, I'm excited," I said.

"I bet you are," Grayson whispered. I could barely stand. I leaned on the counter for support. He pressed his body against me.

"I'm just, uh, in the middle of something, Kristy. I'll call you back tomorrow to get more info, okay? And after that I'll call Abby and Stacey if you want, I have their numbers. I'll call you, I promise."

"Okay, great!" she sounded more cheerful now. "I look forward to hearing from you!"

"Yeah, def. Goodnight."

"'Night, Claud!"

No one had called me "Claud" in years. I shook my head slightly and hung up. Some people are so stuck in the past, it's sad, I thought. Then Grayson lifted me up so that I was sitting on the kitchen counter. That was when all rational thought abandoned my head.


	5. Stacey

**CHAPTER 5**

**STACEY**

"Here, try this," my fiancé said, holding a fork in my direction. He fed me the piece of meat on the end after I blew on it properly (I fully believe that this cools off hot food!).

"Mmm," I murmured. "That's fabulous. What is it?"

"Hibachi style chicken in a light ginger sauce."

"It's delicious."

He nodded, then let out a long exhale. "You really think so?" He looked so cute, standing there in the kitchen, nervous like a little kid on report card day. I gave him a quick kiss on the lips. He smiled and I just about melted, as usual.

"How did I end up engaged to most handsome, amazing, sweet, and talented chef in the entire United States?" I asked him as I slipped my arms around his waist.

"You're engaged to Rachel Ray?" he asked, sounding hurt. "I had no idea you swung on that vine!"

I playfully hit him in the chest. "Oh yes," I teased, "Rachel and I have had a secret thing going for years. She makes a hot pot roast. You have no idea." He laughed and I felt his body relax a little. For about the millionth time since he proposed back in January, I thanked the earth, moon, stars, and gods for the perfect man standing in front of me. Xavier Parke, gourmet chef, marathon runner, Bugs Bunny cartoon enthusiast, a man just as comfortable doing the crossword in the New York Times as he is sticking licorice in the front of his mouth and pretending to hammer something while reciting, "The Walrus and The Carpenter." It doesn't hurt that he's also easy on the eyes. Tall, slender, broad shouldered, with short black hair and naturally tanned skin and deep, soulful brown eyes. Our future children are going to be gorgeous! Especially since I'm not exactly a hag myself. I used to model, just to earn extra money while going through college, and I am pretty proud of the way I've managed to keep everything natural and in balance. No plastic surgery or anorexia for me, thanks! And I saw a lot of both when I was modeling. Of course, anorexia (or any eating disorder) could be especially deadly for me, on account of my diabetes. But as long as I eat sensibly, exercise reasonably, and give myself insulin shots every day, all is well.

"You're incredible, Stasia," Xavier told me before kissing my forehead. "I'm so lucky."

"That's just what I was thinking," I said, running my fingers through my semi-tangled blonde hair, usually tightly coiffed for work on Wall Street, but just hanging loose, not even brushed, on Sunday mornings.

"You were thinking about how lucky I am to have you?" he asked, turning back to the stove. I laughed.

"No! I was thinking about how lucky I am for YOU. I love you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take a shower. I'm a mess. I bet there's mascara all over my cheeks."

"You look fantastic no matter where on your face you choose to wear your mascara," he assured me. "Love you!" he called as I left the kitchen, chuckling, and headed for the bathroom in our apartment. I glanced out the window as I crossed through the living room, and I had to grin. I love New York City! High school in the suburbs was nice, but it's been amazing being back in the city. I have a perfect man, a perfect home, three perfect pets, and a pretty perfect life.

Don't go getting the wrong idea about me, now, though. I am not oblivious to the ways of the world. I have not lived a life of total privilege, unmarred by hardships. I work as a Financial Analyst on Wall Street, not the best job to have in an economic recession. I miss my mother like mad because she moved down to Fort Meyers, Florida, six years ago. I have two wonderful half-siblings who are still reeling from their loss of their mother, my stepmother Samantha, who was murdered by her obsessed-stalker colleague two years ago. I have been dealing with helping to raise these two kids and take care of my devastated father, who lives a couple of blocks away. And I recently had to put down puppy-dog number four, Puff, my pug, because he had cancer and was in pain. But the main thing the last few years have taught me is to live life to the fullest, and be thankful for what you have, because if won't be here forever. Don't take anything for granted! And the main thing I refuse to take for granted is Xavier. We met two years ago, right after the murder, and without him I don't know how I would have gotten through everything without going mad.

I stripped off my clothes and ran a brush through my hair. I was leaning into the shower to turn the water on (I always let it heat up a bit before I get in) when I heard my cell ring. Since it was lying on the bathroom sink and I wasn't actually in the shower yet, I wrapped myself in a towel and answered it, pleased to see that Claudia was calling. Claudia is one of two friends from 'back in the day' that I'm still in touch with, and I'm glad. Though our lives are so totally different now it's ridiculous, I always love chatting or hanging out with C-Kish, as we jokingly called her in high school when 'cool' nicknames were all the rage.

"Yo, you got McGill," I said in a deep(ish) faux announcers voice. She laughed.

"Stace, you dweeb!" I tried not to cringe at the use of the name "Stace," though I did remind her,

"It's Stasia now, Claud."

"Two people calling me Claud in less than twenty-four hours! I feel like I've traveled back in time. Where's the Delorium when you need it?"

"DeLorean?" I asked.

"No, de Claudia," she corrected me. We both chuckled.

"What's up, C-Dogg?" I inquired. I could almost hear her rolling her eyes at that one.

"Not too much, Boontsie!" I stuck my tongue out, though obviously she couldn't see me.

I plopped down on top of the (closed) toilet seat. "Did you call for anything important, or just to assault my ears? And who else called you Claud? Not Janine?"

"No, don't be silly. Actually, it was Kristy."

"Thomas?"

"That's the one. "

"Huh. What did she want?" I asked. I hadn't heard from Kristy Thomas in, I don't know, maybe nine or ten years. We grew apart in high school, went our separate ways, it happens. Once we were done with the BSC, we just didn't really have that much in common. I only ever hung out with her at all because she was still friends with Abby through sports, and Abby was, well, popular, like me and Claudia. I hate to think of it like Kristy didn't fit into the clique or something, but honestly, that's pretty much what it was. Even quiet Mary Anne was more popular, simply because she dated Logan for three out of four years and he was pretty much SHS's IT boy. I think the two of them go close again senior year, after Logan started dating a new girl named Peyton Ashmore, who was much more our style. Soon, Peyton was prom queen and Mary Anne was the shy, quiet girl hiding from the spotlight, just like she used to be. I never really liked Peyton though, I have to admit. People thought I was jealous, having lost Queen to her , but really I just thought she was a bitch. And she was. Especially after Claudia got pregnant. It was Peyton's fault she became a social pariah. Lame. I shook my head and concentrated on what Claudia was saying. 'No need to get lost in the past,' I reminded myself.

"A BSC reunion," Claudia was saying, "For the whole group, even Mal and Jessi, and hopefully Logan and Shannon too. I don't know how I feel about it, but Kristy seems so excited, you know how she is."

"I think it sounds like fun," I said honestly, which surprised my bff.

"You do? Really?"

"Yeah! I mean, I know we've lost touch, but I love the BSC. I really needed the club when I moved to Stoneybrook, and it was a really important time in my life. I mean, think of everything we did, everything we went through together. My parents ' divorce, Mimi's death, Mary Anne's house burning down, Dawn moving, Mal leaving, Watson's heart attack, Jessi's early ballet career, meeting Abby, solving mysteries, everything. You guys were my best friends ever. I mean, you're still my best friend, if adults really have best friends, but I never had a group of girls that were more loyal and awesome as the BSC. It was like having sisters, four or five years before I had a sister. Oh my god, I mean, really, can you remember everything we did? I look at my little sis now, and Artemisia, and they're the same age Mal and Jessi were when they joined the club, and I just can't imagine them doing the stuff we used to! Thwarting robbers and catching dognappers, throwing parties and circuses and talent shows, I mean, wow. Like eight Nancy Drews gone wild! Well, maybe not 'gone wild,' but you know. Gone somewhere. Over the rainbow, maybe. I think it would be great to get the group together again. We could do pizza toasts."

"Nice, Stacey! Stasia! Whatev!" Claudia was laughing. "You ought to be the one to call everyone! Now I'm totally excited about doing this! You're right, we were awesome. We do need to get back together. Just as long as we don't have to bring all our kids. I think it's time for the BSC to start hiring baby-sitters instead of _being_ baby-sitters."

"I'll mention that to Kristy," I said, "Just give me her number. She's probably organize a playgroup for them or something."

"Nothing we haven't done before!" exclaimed Claud.

"Hell yes!" I agreed. "Look out, world, it's The Baby-Sitter's Club!"


End file.
